The high copper/brass prices are causing side-effects over here as well. Just about anything made of copper or brass is being stolen. Plaques from monuments, statues, copper wiring from lighting strike protection, even copper plating from one of the large storm flood protection gates at the Dutch coastline!
IMHO, the large consumption of raw materials by countries as China is the main problem, although the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan take up a lot of resources as well.
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